MATT CAIN

Unless you are a Northern California resident or a Giants baseball fan, you probably won't completely understand this post but I'll do my best to describe it to you. Our San Francisco Giants won three World Series Championships in five years - 2010, 2012, & 2014. It was magical to be a Giants fan during that time. It still is - because the organization, the players & the fans are amazingly special. Even though our team was terrible record-wise & were working to NOT lose 100 games (which they managed to do!) these last few games were incredibly moving & emotional.

That is because one of our starting pitchers, Matt Cain, a 13 year veteran, retired at the end of this season. Yesterday he was given his final start on the mound even though he hadn't pitched in about a month. This organization does a great job of honoring its players. Matt began his Giant career as a 20 year old & played only for the Giants. It is a rarity for a player to be with one team for his entire career as a Major League ball player.

Matt was on all three World Series winning teams. His post season record was one of the best. He had some huge wins for us. Matt was always an all-around good guy. I recall a photo of him posing holding his baby daughter who is now about seven years old. Yesterday he said in an interview he wants to be "dad mom" to his two daughters & commented that if their hair doesn't look right, he did it.

Back in June 2012, Matt Cain pitched the only perfect game in Giants history. A perfect game is extremely rare. That is when a pitcher faces only 27 batters, the minimum, no one gets on base at all - no hits, no walks, no errors, no one on base. There are only 23 perfect games ever in the history of the game. My entire life I wanted to be able to witness a perfect game. 

I vividly recall watching that game on TV. As the innings wore on & still no one reached base, I called my son, my sister, my father & asked if they were all watching. They were. It is considered a superstition to never mention a no-hitter while it is in progress. We didn't know if that applied to a perfect game as well, but we all just said, "Are you watching this?" It took a few great defensive plays & unbelievable pitching from Matt to complete the first perfect game in Giants history. It is a moment I will never forget. Thanks, Matt!

Yesterday, when Matt pitched the final game in his career, even though it was a terrible season, there was an incredible amount of emotion rolling around the ball park. He completed five innings giving up only 2 hits & no runs scored by the other team when the manager took him out of the game. The crowd gave him a standing ovation when he took the mound, at the end of each inning & when he was finally finished. The moment was one of the most emotional I've seen in baseball.

Of course, I cried but that's not a good indicator since I cry at coffee & beer commercials. But Matt was teary, the announcers were wiping their eyes & most fans & players needed a tissue or two. There were hugs for Matt from every coach & player when he left the game. There was a strong, heartfelt embrace between Matt & our best pitcher, Madison Bumgarner, that lingered for many seconds which moved everyone. "There wasn't a dry eye in the stadium," our announcers commented on their hug adding, "These aren't touchy, feely guys." But for a few seconds they were.

When talking with my sister, who said she, too, was in tears for the whole thing, I wondered why this particular retirement was so emotional. I believe it is because this signals the end of the three championship era for the Giants. Maybe there will be more or maybe there won't. But this was such an unbelievable accomplishment & to have one of the icons of the Giants reign retire moved every fan to tears. His genuine love for the game, the organization & the fans came through loud & clear. Yes, winning is good, but there is so much more to the game than that. We witnessed that yesterday & today with the celebration of Matt Cain.